The present invention relates generally to the food service industry, and more particularly to food serving bars which are temperature controlled to maintain food at a suitable temperature as it is being served.
This invention is generally in the same field as U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,407,143, 4,782,665, 4,856,579 and 4,870,835, owned by Duke Manufacturing Company, disclosing refrigerated food serving equipment known as frost top units which give the appearance that the food products being served are resting in ice. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,355,687 and 5,927,092 disclose other types of refrigerated units for holding food pans.
Among the several objects of this invention will be noted the provision of a food serving bar which is equipped for holding a number of relatively small (e.g., 6.9 in. wide by 12.8 in. long) food pans in parallel rows; the provision of such a serving bar which efficiently cools and/or heats the food in all such pans substantially uniformly; the provision of such a serving bar which is economical to manufacture and attractive in appearance; and the provision of such a serving bar which can easily retrofit a conventional frost top unit.
In general, a temperature controlled food serving bar of this invention comprises a cabinet having a bottom, opposite sides and opposite ends defining an interior space. A top wall overlies the base and has an opening therein above the interior space. A plurality of elongate, generally parallel, spaced apart dividers of thermally conductive material extend lengthwise of the cabinet in or below the opening. The dividers have side walls extending down into the interior space of the cabinet dividing the interior space into a plurality of elongate generally parallel cavities extending lengthwise of the cabinet. A temperature control system having a plurality of heat transfer lines extending along the side walls of the dividers at locations outside the cavities controls the temperature of the side walls. Upwardly facing surfaces on the dividers support food-holding pans in positions in which the pans extend down into the cavities adjacent the side walls of the dividers for being heated or cooled thereby. Thermal barriers are provided below the upwardly facing surfaces to inhibit the transfer of heat between the dividers and the upward facing surfaces.
The present invention is also direct to a temperature controlled food serving bar having at least two, generally parallel, spaced apart channels of thermally conductive material. The channels extend lengthwise of the cabinet in or below the opening. Each channel has a bottom wall and opposing side walls defining an elongate cavity extending lengthwise of the cabinet. The temperature control system comprises a plurality of heat transfer lines extending along the side walls of the channels at locations outside the cavities. Upwardly facing surfaces on the channels support food-holding pans in positions in which the pans extend down into the cavities adjacent the side walls of the channels for being heated or cooled thereby.
Other objects and features will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.